While we do not support the United States giving preference to one religious group over another, we do understand that one main reason people become refugees is because of their “well-founded fear of persecution” due to religion.

So, we were encouraged by your previous efforts on Senate Bill 2708that would double the number of Syrian Refugees admitted to the U.S. by an additional 10,000 people (over the initial 10,000 people authorized by President Obama).

You not only sought to double the number of Syrian Refugees admitted to the US, but you also sought to accelerate the approval process by dropping the requirement for those Syrian refugees to go through the U.N. screening process.

As you stated,

Religious minorities are among the most heavily persecuted in Syria, with many forced to flee to refugee camps in other countries. The problem is that a member of a religious minority who comes forward to the U.N. refugee centers are, in effect, openly declaring that they are a minority that is not trusted by either side in Syrias civil war. Syrian religious minorities are members of close knit groups that are easier to check for security purposes. With the belt-and-suspenders security built into this bill, I would be comfortable having someone who would come in as a neighbor to my family in Dardanelle.

Senator Cotton, we respectively ask what has changed that you are now supporting President Trump's Executive Order that blocks all Syrian Refugees from entering the U.S.?

We ask you to stand by your convictions, the legislation you currently have before the Senate, and work to reverse President Trump's Executive Order on refugee resettlement.

Sincerely,

Canopy Northwest Arkansas Board of Directors

Canopy NWA Supporters, we encourage you to contact Senator Cotton's D.C. office via phone to express your support for reversing President Trump's Executive Order on refugee resettlement.

If you aren’t sure what to say, you can just say the following:

My name is [NAME] and I live in [City]. I am calling to share that I strongly support the US maintaining our commitment to refugee resettlement by reversing this Executive Order.

Welcoming refugees makes our country stronger and our world a better place. I would like to see [Representative Name] do everything in his power to reverse this Executive Order and let President Trump know that Northwest Arkansas stands ready to accept refugees.